Peace Agreement between the Great Powers and China.
Anti-foreignism and rejection of Western ideas had
manifested themselves throughout the second half of the 19th century in
China both at the official level and by the general population. The decade
of the 1890s saw a rash of organized attacks on foreign institutions and
Christian churches, missionaries and native converts carried out by
adherents of secret societies dubbed the Big Sword Society and the Fists
of Righteous Harmony or Boxers. The latter had enveloped much of northern
China and appeared to have the tacit approval of certain high Manchu
officials and Chinese gentry resentful of increasing Western penetration
of China via concessions and privileges wrung from a helpless central
government.
In early June 1900 large numbers of Boxeers entered the Chinese capital,
placing several hundred Europeans under siege in that section of the city
housing the foreign diplomats; the Europeans had retreated to the guarded
Legation quarter to await help. Meanwhile the rebels proceeded to massacre
thousandsof Chinese converts to Christianity in the city at large. This
success prompted the government to throw in its lot with the rebels by
sending troops to support them. A hasty attempt by the foreign military
contingent sent from Tientsin to lift the siege was repulsed and not until
mid-August did a large Allied force representing 9 European nations as
well as the U.S. and Japan enter Peking to raise the siege and exact
fierce reprisals of plunder and killing. The chastened and contrite
imperial court was forced to accept the heavy indemnity and other terms
imposed by the powers in the Boxer protocol of Sep. 7, 1901. Fortunately
for China, the country itself remained intact, the powers opting for the
"open door" of trade rather than an imperialist division of its territory
among them.
THE PLENIPOTENTIARIES of . . .[Germany, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Spain, United States, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, China] have met for the purpose of declaring that China has complied with the conditions laid down in the note of the 22nd December, 1900, and which were accepted in their entirety by His Majesty the Emperor of China in a Decree dated the 27th December, 1900.
1) By an Imperial Edict of the 9th June last, . . Prince of the First Rank, Chun, was
appointed Ambassador of His Majesty the Emperor of China, and directed in that capacity
to convey to His Majesty the German Emperor the expression of the regrets of His
Majesty the Emperor of China and of the Chinese Government at the assassination of his
Excellency the late Baron von Ketteler, German Minister.
Prince Chun left Peking on the 12th July last to carry out the orders which had been
given him.
2)The Chinese Government has stated that it will erect on the spot of the assassination of
his Excellency the late Baron von Ketteler, commemorative monument worthy of the rank
of the deceased, and bearing an inscription in the Latin, German, and Chinese languages
which shall express the regrets of His Majesty the Emperor of China for the murder
committed.
The Chinese Plenipotentiaries have informed his Excellency the German Plenipotentiary,
in a letter dated the 22nd July last, that an arch of the whole width of the street would be
erected on the said spot, and that work on it was begun on the 25th June last.
1) Imperial Edicts of the 13th and 21st February, 1901, inflicted the following
punishments on the principal authors of the attempts and of the crimes committed against
the foreign Governments and their nationals: -
Tsa-Ii, Prince Tuan, and Tsai-Lan, Duke Fu-kuo, were sentenced to be brought before
the Autumnal Court of Assize for execution, and it was agreed that if the Emperor saw fit
to grant them their lives, they should be exiled to Turkestan, and there imprisoned for life,
without the possibility of commutation of these punishments.
Tsai Hsun, Prince Chuang, Ying-Nien, President of the Court of Censors, and Chao Shu-
chiao, President of the Board of Punishments, were condemned to commit suicide.
Yu Hsun, Governor of Shansi, Chi Hsiu, President of the Board of Rites, and Hsu
Cheng-yu, formerly Senior Vice-President of the Board of Punishments, were condemned
to death.
Posthumous degradation was inflicted on Kang Yi, Assistant Grand Secretary, President
of the Board of Works, Hsu Tung, Grand Secretary, and Li Ping-heng, former Governor-
General of Szu-chuan.
Imperial Edict of the 13th February last rehabilitated the memories of Hsu Yung-yi,
President of the Board of War; Li Shan, President of the Board of Works; Hsu Ching
Cheng, Senior VicePresident of the Board of Civil Office; Lien Yuan, Vice-Chancellor of
the Grand Council; and Yuan Chang, Vice-President of the Court of Sacrifices, who had
been put to death for having protested against the outrageous breaches of international
law of last year.
Prince Chuang committed suicide on the 21st February last; Ying Nien and Chao Shu-
chiao on the 24th February; Yu Hsien was executed on the 22nd February; Chi Hsiu and
Hsu Cheng-yu on the 26th February; Tung Fu-hsiang, General in Kan-su, has been
deprived of his office by Imperial Edict of the 13th February last, pending the
determination of the final punishment to be inflicted on him.
Imperial Edicts, dated the 29th April and 19th August, 1901, have inflicted various
punishments on the provincial officials convicted of the crimes and outrages of last
summer.
2) An Imperial Edict, promulgated the 19th August, 1901, ordered the suspension of
official examinations for five years in all cities where foreigners were massacred or
submitted to cruel treatment.
So as to make honourable reparation for the assassination of Mr. Sugiyama, Chancellor of the Japanese Legation, His Majesty the Emperor of China, by an Imperial Edict of the 18th June, 1901, appointed Na T'ung, Vice-President of the Board of Finances, to be his Envoy Extraordinary, and specially directed him to convey to His Majesty the Emperor of Japan the expression of the regrets of His Majesty the Emperor of China and of his Government at the assassination of Mr. Sugiyama.
The Chinese Government has agreed to erect an expiatory monument in each of the
foreign or international cemeteries which were desecrated, and in which the tombs were
destroyed.
It has been agreed with the Representatives of the Powers that the Legations interested
shall settle the details for the erection of these monuments, China bearing all the expenses
thereof, estimated at 10,000 taels, for the cemeteries at Peking and in its neighbourhood,
and at 5,000 taels for the cemeteries in the provinces. The amounts have been paid, and
the list of these cemeteries is inclosed herewith.
China has agreed to prohibit the importation into its territory of arms and ammunition, as
well as of materials exclusively used for the manufacture of arms and ammunition.
An Imperial Edict has been issued on the 25th August, forbidding said importation for a
term of two years. New Edicts may be issued subsequently extending this by other
successive terms of two years in case of necessity recognized by the Powers.
By an Imperial Edict dated the 29th May, 1901, His Majesty the Emperor of China
agreed to pay the Powers an indemnity of 450,000,000 of Haikwan taels.
This sum represents the total amount of the indemnities for States, Companies, or
Societies, private individuals and Chinese, referred to in Article 6 of the note of the 22nd
December,1900.
1) These 450,000,000 constitute a gold debt calculated at the rate of the Haikwan
tael to the gold currency of each country [335million gold dollars, etc.] . . .
This sum in gold shall shall bear interest at 4 per cent. per annum, and the capital shall be
reimbursed by China in thirty-nine years in the manner indicated in the annexed plan of
amortization. Capital and interest shall be payable in gold or at the rates of exchange
corresponding to the dates at which the different payments fall due.
The amortization shall commence the 1st January, I902, and shall finish at the end of the
year I940. The amortizations are payable annually, the first payment being fixed on the 1st
January, 1903.
Interest shall run from the 1st July, 1901, but the Chinese Government shall have the right
to pay off within a term of three years, beginning January 1902, the arrears of the first six
months ending the 31st December, 1901, on condition, however, that it pays compound
interest at the rate of 4 per cent. a year on the sums the payment of which shall have been
thus deferred.
Interest shall be payable semi-annually, the first payment being fixed on the 1st July, I902.
2) The service of the debt shall take place in Shanghai in the following manner: -
Each Power shall be represented by a Delegate on a Commission of bankers authorized
to receive the amount of interest and amortization which shall be paid to it by the Chinese
authorities designated for that purpose, to divide it among the interested parties, and to
give a receipt for the same.
3) The Chinese Government shall deliver to the Doyen [i.e., the senior member] of the Diplomatic Corps at Peking a bond for the lump sum, which shall subsequently be converted into fractional bonds bearing the signature of the Delegates of the Chinese Government designated for that purpose. This operation and all those relating to issuing of the bonds shall be performed by the above-mentioned Commission, in accordance with the instructions which the Powers shall send their Delegates.
4) The proceeds of the revenues assigned to the payment of the bonds shall be paid monthly to the Commission.
5) The seven assigned as security for the bonds are the following:-
a) The balance of the revenues of the Imperial Maritime Customs, after payment of
the interest and amortization of preceding loans secured on these revenues, plus the
proceeds of the raising to 5 per cent. effective of the present tariff of maritime imports,
including articles until now on the free list, but exempting rice, foreign cereals, and
flour, gold and silver bullion and coin.
b) The revenues of the native Customs, administered in the open ports by the
Imperial Maritime Customs.
c) The total revenues of the salt gabelle, exclusive of the fraction previously set aside
for other foreign loans.
6) The raising of the present tariff on imports to 5 per cent. effective is agreed to on
the conditions mentioned below. It shall be put in force two months after the signing of
the present Protocol, and no exceptions shall be made except for merchandize in transit
not more than ten days after the said signing.
. . . . . . . . . ..
b) The beds of the Rivers Whangpoo and Peiho shall be improved with the financial
participation of China.
The Chinese Government has agreed to negotiate the amendments deemed necessary by
the foreign Governments to the Treaties of Commerce and Navigation and the other
subjects concerning commercial relations with the object of facilitating them.
At present, and as a result of the stipulation contained in Article 6 concerning the
indemnity, the Chinese Government agrees to assist in the improvement of the courses of
the Rivers Peiho and Whangpoo, as stated below.-
1) The works for the improvement of the navigability of the Peiho, begun in 1898
with the co-operation of the Chinese Government, have been resumed under the direction
of an International Commission. As soon as the Administration of Tien-tsin shall have
been handed back to the Chinese Government it will be in a position to be represented on
this Commission, and will pay each year a sum of 60,000 Haikwan taels for maintaining
the works.
2) A Conservancy Board, charged with the management and control of the works for
straightening the Whangpoo and the improvement of the course of that river, is hereby
created.
The Board shall consist of members representing the interests of the Chinese
Government and those of foreigners in the shipping trade of Shanghai.
The expenses incurred for the works and the general management of the undertaking are
estimated at the annual sum of 460,000 Haikwan taels for the first twenty years. This sum
shall be supplied in equal portions by the Chinese Government and the foreign interests
concerned.